Round 1 of the season takes place at the rollercoaster Portimao venue, the perfect location to kick off the campaign

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With Round 2 here, big quotes were on offer from several riders about a variety of topics as the WorldSBK grid get ready to take on the Portimao rollercoaster

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The Spaniard missed out on the first races of 2025 through injuries he sustained in Superpole but will be back on his CBR1000RR-R machine in Portugal

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WorldSBK hits Portugal for Round 2 of 2025 as Portimao welcomes the paddock for a thrilling battle on the Algarve coast

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WorldSBK is pleased to welcome Mizuno as its new Official Footwear Partner starting from 2025. Mizuno Corporation, a globally renowned Japanese company founded in Osaka in 1906 by Rihachi Mizuno, specialises in sportswear and is a world leader in performance footwear.

This new exclusive partnership will see Mizuno supply footwear for the Dorna WorldSBK Organization (DWO) staff as part of their official uniform. The collaboration also includes joint co-marketing initiatives and business activities planned throughout the season.

Mizuno’s dedication to continuous improvement, inspired by the Japanese philosophy “Kaizen,” aligns seamlessly with WorldSBK’s devotion to innovation and performance.

Michele Morrica, Sales Manager for Mizuno commented: “We are honoured to become the Official Footwear Partner of WorldSBK. This collaboration allows us to support the championship with our high-performance footwear, reflecting our pursuit of continuous improvement and excellence.”

Francesco Valentino, Head of WorldSBK Commercial & Marketing Department, added: “We are delighted to welcome Mizuno to the WorldSBK family. Their dedication to innovation and quality aligns perfectly with our values, and we look forward to a successful partnership that enhances the experience for our staff and fans alike.”

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Having scored just twenty points in Australia as the 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship kick off, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) left the opening round knowing it would be a different story in 2025. A recent test at Portimao paints another different story. Australia didn’t go according to plan for Razgatlioglu, but the Turkish superstar looks set to bounce back this weekend at Portimao. Last year’s hat-trick proved the crescendo of Toprak’s dominance and Round 2 of 2025 should see it mark the return to form for the reigning World Champion.

RAZGATLIOGLU’S TIME TO SHINE: can the #1 be back in P1 at Portimao?

The bookmakers have Toprak at longer odds than you’d expect for the title, but they should be rewriting their ledgers in sharp order after the recent test in the Algarve. Topping both days came as little surprise for Razgatlioglu but his pace and consistency was the punctuation to a strong week. Dominant single lap pace saw him top both days by four and sixth tenths, but it was the longer runs that really dazzled. After an injury-filled winter, Razgatlioglu arrived in Australia under prepared. The much-discussed BMW package changed considerably in the lead-up to Phillip Island and has taken time for Toprak to fully exploit. He now looks primed and ready to do this and there is no better venue than Portimao for him. Toprak’s style, as proved by his six wins and 13 podiums here, is suited perfectly to this undulating, modern day classic. 

The cockiness of BMW was taken down a notch at the opening round. That won’t do any harm through the year as they’ve been reminded that winning is never a guarantee. At the recent test Razgatlioglu, teammate Michael van der Mark, plus Sylvan Guintoli and Markus Reiterberger from the test team, were all on track. The data from all helps to form the package and after the challenges of the winter that accumulated data is now being set to work. 

A BIG FIGHT AT THE FRONT: Bulega aiming to extend his winning run…

The opening round saw a dominant week for Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) but he crashed at the test, at the fast Turn 15. He’ll need to bounce back from that and find some feeling because at the test he was struggling. Never quite able to get the right balance from his Panigale V4 R led to question marks following the test. He was still fast, but he wasn’t quite fast enough. As Ducati’s team leader and title challenger the pressure in year two is very different to last year as a rookie. The horde of Ducati’s are likely to be strong again at Portimao. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) all had reason to leave the opening round pleased with their efforts. They’ll be in the mix again this week.

YAMAHA TO MAKE A STEP? Locatelli joined by O’Halloran as Rea’s replacement

Superconcession parts should help Yamaha this year, but it remains to be seen if they’ll have them available for Round 2. They certainly won’t have Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) available. The six-time Champion is still licking his wounds from Australia and working hard to recover. He was as motivated as ever going into 2025 and the sooner he’s fit and ready to return the better. Jason O’Halloran will take his place this weekend. The experienced Australian has switched from British Superbikes to the World Endurance Championship for 2025 and has impressed Yamaha with his speed since moving to the YART squad. ‘O’Show’ was a 25 times race winner for Yamaha in BSB and will be excited to see how he fares compared to the regular WorldSBK riders on the R1. 

BACK AGAINST THE WALL: Razgatlioglu to come out swinging…

The front of the field is where the interest will be, however. Australia was Bulega’s race with the invitation passed out to the rest of the field to try and challenge him. The reigning Champion struggled and after Round 1 Razgatlioglu felt backed into a corner. He’s at his most dangerous with his back to the wall and he looks ready to come out swinging in the Algarve.

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After a long off-season, the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship bursts back into action at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve to kick off its ninth, and final, season. With a new entry-level class being introduced for 2026, this season is the last chance to join the likes of Aldi Mahendra, Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing), Alvaro Diaz, Adrian Huertas, Manuel Gonzalez, Ana Carrasco, and Marc Garcia in being crowned a World Supersport 300 Champion, and the Pirelli Portuguese Round is where riders will need to strike first but who will be in contention?

GENNAI UNBEATABLE AT PORTIMAO: five in a row for the Italian…

Mirko Gennai (MTM Kawasaki) has been simply unbeatable at Portimao in recent seasons, winning the last five WorldSSP300 races there for two different brands (Kawasaki and Yamaha). He’ll be looking to continue that run but faces stiff competition, some of which will come from teammate Carter Thompson as he makes a full-time move into WorldSSP300. Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) is once again searching for the title, aiming to become a three-time World Champion, though he only has one rostrum at the rollercoaster. Kevin Sabatucci (Accolade Funds Smrz Racing BGR) is the most experienced rider on the grid, with 83 race starts, and he’ll be hoping he can use that to his advantage in the early stages of the season. Both Elia Bartolini (Team BrCorse) and teammate Marco Gaggi have shown glimpses of what they can do so expect them to be in the mix, as well as Phillip Tonn (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing). Tomas Alonso (Pons Motorsport Italika Racing) returns for a full-time campaign after several appearances on home soil, and he begins with a home round.

THE 2025 ROOKIES: new names and fresh faces

Several riders will begin their rookie season in 2025, with Marc Vich (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSSP300 Team) and teammate Cameron Swain making their way up through the Yamaha R3 BLU CRU World Cup ranks. Benat Fernandez (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove) is the sole Kove rider on the grid in 2025, while Antonio Torres (Team ProDina XCI) and Gonzalo Sanchez (ARCO Sash MotoR University Team) both made impacts in 2024 in sporadic appearances. Indonesia is represented on the grid with Felix Mulya (ProGP NitiRacing) and teammate Faerozi Toreqottullah. Also coming into the Championship are Juan Risueno (MS Racing), Uriel Hidalgo (ZAPPAS-DEZA-BOX 77 Racing Team), Roberto Fernandez (Kawasaki Junior Team by MTM), and Emanuele Cazzaniga (Racestar Trasimeno); the latter has raced a few times in WorldSSP300 but is now set for a full-time campaign.

EXPERIENCED HEADS: will Vannucci’s luck turn in 2025, can Garcia quickly re-adapt to the Kawasaki?

Matteo Vannucci (PATA AG Motorsport Italia WorldSSP300) perhaps earned the title of unluckiest rider in 2024; when everything was going well, something always seemed to prevent him from getting a good result. He’ll be hoping 2025 is his year and the three-time race winner will feel Portimao – a circuit he’s had a podium at – is a good place to start. Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport) is back on the Kawasaki Ninja 400, and he’ll want to add to his podium tally while Czech rider Petr Svoboda (Kawasaki Junior Team by MTM) is back on the grid after missing the majority of 2024 due to injury. Pepe Osuna (ZAPPAS-DEZA-BOX 77 Racing Team) improved his Championship position from 15^th to 10^th in 2024 and he’ll be aiming for a similar step. Unai Calatayud (ARCO Sash MotoR University Team) is a race winner in WorldSSP300 and will be hoping he can secure more victories after showing strong potential throughout his time in WorldSSP300; it’s a similar story for David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI), who ended 2024 with a win in Race 1 at Jerez.

AIMING FOR FIRST WINS OR PODIUMS: a stacked field in 2025…

Humberto Maier (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA by MS Racing) has been fast throughout his time in WorldSSP300 with four podiums and a pole to his name. The Brazilian will be aiming to take a first win, while teammate Kevin Fontainha will be hoping to stand on the rostrum for the first time. Emiliano Ercolani (Kawasaki GP Project) debuted last year and improved his results as the season progressed but couldn’t crack the top ten; that’ll be his first goal in 2025. It’s similar for teammate Giacomo Zannini but his first target will be a top 15 finish for his first points, as it will be for Czech rider Filip Novotny (Accolade Funds Smrz Racing BGR).

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Located 45 kilometers northwest of sunny Portimao, Portugal; the southern Portuguese track first featured on the WorldSBK schedule in 2008, hosting a total of 38 races since then. It has been often referred to as a, or, the ‘rollercoaster’ as its track layout is anything but flat, and particularly its downhill, turning sections make it one of the most technically challenging circuits on the track on the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship calendar.

Only one rider has featured in every race since WorldSBK’s first race here in 2008, Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha), dubbed the ‘Professor of Portimao’, will sadly see this streak end in 2025 as the multiple foot fractures suffered in the season opener will rule him out from returning at Portimao. While he won’t compete this time around, Rea has etched his name all over the circuit’s record books. The #65 concurrently holds the record for the most in each of the following categories: wins (13), podiums (25) and poles (6).

SECTOR BY SECTOR: Portimao’s key corners

Portimao’s counterclockwise setup starts the race into Turn 1 with its signature calling card, a downhill leading into a corner, a turn Rea describes as “like falling off a cliff.”. Turn 2 is a gentle right-handed bend which leads into the track’s first hairpin, Turn 3. Rounding the bend, Turn 4 is all about exit speed as upon its exit is a long straight. Turns 5 through 8 consist of first a left-hand, into a right-hand loop that double back on each other. Between the two switchbacks, Turn 6 into Turn 7 is a difficult uphill to downhill pair of bends, where the considerable camber of the track side to side can cause grip issues.

“IT’S LIKE A ROLLERCOASTER”: Rea on his favorite sector

Upon Turn 7’s exit, riders enter Rea’s favorite stretch of track, famous for its dynamic change in elevation. On the sector, Rea said: “My favourite sector is the Craig Jones corner. You go from Turn 8, left, up the hill, then drop down the hill, then fast left. It’s like a rollercoaster. You’re in fourth gear, you’re short shifting from first gear, right to fourth – trying to fight the wheelie, get acceleration going forward and change direction at the same time – it’s a really challenging part of the track. Then this leads onto what I call ‘The Balcony’ where you go up and across and down again, T10-T11, it’s always a huge challenge technically, because you’re trying to get there really fast, then stop the bike from backing in too much. You have to try to turn tight and not use too much track. That’s the most challenging part of the track, but the most fun for me is that preceding Turn 9.”

Coming down from there, riders enter a gradual left-hand turn at Turn 12, as most of the track wears away at the right side of the tire, this left hand turn can be taken aggressively without riders needing to worry themselves too much about preserving the tire. From there, riders enter what is in Rea’s opinion, one of the hardest corners on the track. Turn 13-14 starts out with a “big bump” going into Turn 13, largely limiting much feeling from the front tyre, a moment which when combined with the corner’s camber: “Always just makes me feel nervous”. Accelerating out of the corners, riders have to fight the urge to fly into the gradual Turn 15, as the incline and sustained lean angle leading onto the final straight can lead to the bike drifting outwards on the bend.

REA ON PORTIMAO: “It’s the most challenging circuit on the calendar, but it’s very rewarding when you do a good lap”

Discussing the Portuguese venue, Rea stated: “Portimao’s an incredibly unique circuit because of the elevation changes, the blind corners, it’s very difficult to have a ‘perfect lap’ at Portimao. I don’t think you can ever call the best lap a perfect one because there’s always something you can do better. I think it’s the most challenging circuit on the calendar, but it’s very rewarding when you do a good lap. It’s very special, it gives you a lot of adrenaline, because of the G-forces, it’s almost like being on a rollercoaster on a motorcycle. It’s a lot of fun, it resembles a motocross track, so I think that works well for me”.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND: Details to consider this weekend

Portimao’s technical nature requires precision and nerve, two things Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) has in spades, making this one of his most successful tracks on the calendar over the years. Since 2021, he has only ever finished outside the podium once, accruing six wins, six second places, and one third place in his career here. While he won a hat-trick of races here in 2024, he is not alone in his affinity for this track, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing -Ducati) and Razgatlioglu have finished first and second (in any order) in seven out of nine races since 2022. In fact, since 2015, only Bautista, Razgatlioglu, or Rea have topped the podium here apart from Michael van der Mark’s (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 2021 win in his first year with BMW.

Watch the WorldSBK grid take on Portimao’s ups and downs across March 28^th-30^th via the WorldSBK VideoPass!

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2025 marked a new era for Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and Bimota, with the British rider and the Italian brand forming a partnership for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. Bimota were back in the Championship for the first time since 2014 and Lowes was trusted to help lead and develop the project alongside teammate Axel Bassani. Speaking in a special feature interview, the #22 revealed the moment he was told about the project, the first test on the KB998 Rimini and how the bike differs from the Kawasaki he raced on since 2020.

THE START OF THE PROJECT: “I remember when the bosses came to me to explain it, I thought they were going to fire me!”

The four-time WorldSBK race winner expanded on when he was first informed about the changes for the 2025 season, with everything kept very quiet and under wraps outside of the team until the official announcement in April 2024. Lowes explained how he felt when the project was explained to him, revealing that – given how well he was riding last year on the Kawasaki ZX-10RR – there were some questions in his mind regarding how he would feel on the new bike after fighting for podiums most weekends in 2024.

Discussing the moment everything was explained to him, Lowes said: “I remember when the bosses and Guim came to me to explain it, I thought they were telling me they were going to fire me and kick me out! It was a strange feeling; I didn’t know what was going on. Everyone was really secretive; it was a secret inside the family of the team. They explained to me the project and the future, everybody was excited and when I tried the bike for the first time, I was anxious honestly, because 2024 was the best feeling I had for many years in WorldSBK. I was riding really well, fighting for some podiums every weekend. I was really confident. I was thinking, ‘how’s it going to feel?’ I feel really good with the bike I’ve got’. It was interesting.”

FIRST TIME ON THE BIKE: “I couldn’t believe how different it felt… the way the bike was going into the corners and turning was a lot different!”

Of course, a new bike doesn’t magically appear out of nowhere, and Lowes revealed more details about his first test on the bike, which came at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in June last year. While he didn’t get many laps under his belt, the Lincoln-born rider could immediately feel a difference in the way the bike was turning, admitting he was surprised at how different the Bimota machine felt compared to what he was used to; with the KB998 Rimini featuring the same Kawasaki engine as the ZX-10RR.

“The first time I tried the bike, I did 16 laps in Barcelona,” begun Lowes when discussing his first time on the bike. “There was nobody there. Florian, the test rider, had been riding the bike a couple of times. I was waiting all day, a little bit nervous, and then rode the bike and did a few laps just to get an initial feeling of the chassis. I couldn’t believe how different it felt, to be honest. The engine is the same but the way the bike was going into the corners and turning was a lot different. Obviously, within these laps, I didn’t get time to explore the bike but just to give my initial input and my initial feeling on the bike was super nice; it meant a lot to me to be involved from the start of the project. Hopefully, I’m fighting at the front of World Superbike with this bike.”

REVIEWING THE BIKE: “It’s an exciting bike… it’s fantastic; it looks really great!”

Lowes now has much more experience on his new machine with more testing completed, even if some of the winter testing programme was disrupted by rain at both Jerez and Portimao in January, and again in Portugal in March. Despite that, the Brit scored three top-ten results in Australia (with Bassani doing the same) as the project got off to a consistent start.

Discussing the new bike and his feeling on it, Lowes said: “The new bike, the Bimota KB998 Rimini, is an exciting bike. It’s a lot different to what I was riding in the past. The Italian design and chassis, the tubular frame in connection with the aluminium… honestly, it’s fantastic; it looks really great. It’s turning well. I feel like you can be smooth on the bike with less input, and I’ve really enjoyed the bike since the first time I rode it. The good point is we’re just at the beginning of this project. We can keep looking at some of the weaker areas and trying to improve. We have a lot of strong points which is what we’re trying to use at the minute. Then, like every team, improve in our weaker areas.”

2025 TARGETS: “I feel like I’m riding the Bimota at the same level I was last year…”

Although he didn’t put a specific target out there, Lowes revealed his main target for 2025 was to keep “building and improving” due to the project being so new, although – as with every rider – did stress that he wants to fight for podiums. In 2024, Lowes took 12 podiums for his best single-season tally of rostrums and will be hoping to stand on the podium on several occasions throughout the year as the Bimota is developed.

Discussing his targets, Lowes stated: “I don’t really know in terms of position. Last year was a pretty solid year for me. I feel like I’m riding the Bimota at the same level I was last year, but my target is wherever we start the Championship, just to keep building and improving because this is one of the things with this project being so new. We have the chance to keep building. It’s something with the Kawasaki that was always on the limit. Now, we have the chance to build throughout the season. Obviously, we want to be fighting for podiums and the best positions possible. I want to enjoy the whole year with the team because they’ve put a lot into the project and I’m sure when we stand on the podium together, it’s going to mean that little bit more.”

PORTIMAO NEXT: “It can be a really strong weekend for us”

Round 2 of 2025 takes place at the iconic Portimao circuit, a track that Lowes has tested the Bimota on throughout the winter. Previewing the round, he said: “Portimao’s a fantastic track. What a track with the up and downs and fast corners, it’s got pretty much everything. It’s somewhere we do a little bit of testing in the winter. We know the track quite well and riding the bike there already is a positive point for us. I felt good. The aerodynamics on the bike, with the big undulations of Portimao, have been quite positive. It’s a track I’ve had some good races at last year and I think it can be a really strong weekend for us.”

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The Pirelli Portuguese Round of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship takes the grid’s riders to the technical and full of thrills Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal. Friday, March 28^th will ring in this weekend’s race action, and in anticipation, Pirelli have unveiled their solutions for the unique challenges posed by Portimao’s ‘rollercoaster’. For the rear, Pirelli will use their new standard SC0 tyre, which will be the softest available for races. For rear tyres in the Tissot Superpole sessions and races, the Supersoft SCX will be available. Across all events, the front tyres available will be the SC1 medium and SC2 hard tyres.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS FROM PIRELLI: soft tyre choices at the rear

The new standard SC0 tyre was initially unveiled as a development option at 2024’s Aragon Round, where it was appreciated by riders. After undergoing further development, the D0640 is now ready to be made the new standard model SC0 tyre. Pirelli’s engineers didn’t call it a day there however and developed a further pair of new tyres. The first is a new development tyre still undergoing fine tuning, a soft rear tyre, dubbed the E0125. This model maintains the same rubber compound found in the new standard SC0 tyre but composes of a different structure, aiming to improve stability and prolonged tyre life. For both the Tissot Superpole and Tissot Superpole Race, riders will be able to use the SCX supersoft tyre; this is the softest tyre available.

FRONT TYRE SELECTION: standard solutions on offer for Portimao in the dry

The options for teams around the paddock are the standard selection of the versatile SC1 medium, and the durable SC2 hard. The SC1 medium was the workhorse of the 2024 season as its adaptability allowed it to be used across different circuits in different temperatures, while the SC2 offers better mechanical resistance and greater protection from wear. In the event of wet weather, there will be two rain front tyres (plus the standard Intermediate) to choose from with the standard SCR1 joined by the development E0158, designed to improve stability in the wet.

WORLD SUPERSPORT’S OPTIONS: standard options all round

For the WorldSSP field, it’s standard solutions for the riders. For the rear of the bikes, they can choose either the SC0 soft or the SC1 medium tyre, with the latter designed to protect against wear more in comparison to the SC0. At the front, it will be either the SC1 medium or the SC2 hard that riders use.

PIRELLI SAYS: “The new D0640 SC0 proved to be an improvement over the previous SC0.”

Discussing the tyre allocations, Pirelli’s Motorcyle Racing Director, Giorgio Barbier, said: “Portimao is a moderately severe track for the tyres, so it is an excellent proving ground to test some new solutions, in Pirelli’s classic path of continuous innovation. We decided to promote the D0640 specification to the new rear standard SC0: on its WorldSBK debut at Aragón as a development solution it won the trust of the riders, and then it also collected positive feedback in the winter tests at Jerez and Portimao and in the Moto2™ Championship, both in the two GPs held at Misano and in the pre-season tests at Jerez. Promoting it to a range compound was therefore a natural decision because it proved to be an improvement over the previous SC0. But our development is constantly and continuously evolving: alongside the new SC0, a soft in E0125 specification will make its debut, which features the same compound of the standard SC0 but has a different casing, with the aim of offering greater stability and consistency over race distance. Portimao is a demanding track in terms of abrasiveness for this reason, as in the past, the SCQ usually available for practice, qualifying and Superpole Race will be replaced in this role by the SCX. In case of rain, the WorldSBK riders will have two front wet options, with the new E0158 joining the standard SCR1.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com